The Pharmacists’ Defence Association (PDA) has issued a cautious welcome to the government consultation published in December. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has worked closely with representatives of the pharmacy sector for six months in the run up to the release of its Pharmacy Supervision consultation. It’s therefore reassuring to see that the consultation broadly supports the Supervision Practice Group’s recommendations. This builds trust and confidence in the process and consequently, is welcomed by the PDA.
If the changes proposed in the group’s report are delivered and the process is undertaken in the right way, this is an opportunity to welcome transformational improvements in pharmacy practice. However, it’s noted that some recommendations have not been taken up and the PDA has sought assurances from the DHSC that they will be.
The changes to the law being proposed in this consultation are a good starting point but until the new regulations and professional guidance provide clarity, the overall picture of how supervision will work in community pharmacy will not become apparent.
PDA Chairman, Mark Koziol said, “We await the continuation of the consultation process and hope that the process will reflect the views contained in the Supervision Practice Group’s report.”
